Common Mistakes to Avoid in Car Exporting
As per reports, China exported up to 441,000 cars as of February 2025. These figures indicate the rising popularity of this market, brought about by factors such as:
- People’s desire for a luxurious life
- Improved market economy in developing countries
- Rise in the different types of cars being exported, such as EV vehicles
Apart from that, even the China used car market online saw an increased surge in exports in as reported by Business Standard in January 2025. The bulk of this demand was driven by customers based in Central Asia.
However, despite this surge in exported cars, some dealerships make unwanted mistakes, which lead to customer dissatisfaction. Let’s take a look at them below.
5 Mistakes To Watch Out For When Exporting Cars
You should avoid making these five mistakes when you’re exporting cars:
Not Maintaining or Having The Proper Documentation
Most dealerships often ignore the need for the correct documents related to the vehicles they sell. They either collect incorrect documents or those that do not comply with the destination country’s import regulations.
Sometimes, dealerships do not even have these documents. Some of these documents include:
- A commercial and proforma invoice
Proforma invoices are documents that contain information about the approximate or estimated costs of export. On the other hand, commercial invoices are documents that contain the final details of the transaction, and the required amount to be paid by the receiving party.
- Origin Certificate
It is a document that mentions the country of origin of the vehicle in question. Some countries require these documents as they have different trade agreements, which impact their import policies.
For example, countries like Japan and Korea accept exported cars from China.
- Country or region-specific certificates
Depending on which country you’re exporting to, you might have to prepare some additional documents that align with the country’s import policies. For example, Korea requires a ‘Lading Bill’ and ‘Import Declaration’.
The ‘Lading Bill’ is usually for vehicles imported into the country via the sea. On the other hand, the ‘Import Declaration’ document is something that the receiving dealership in Korea must prepare.
Incorrect Shipping Methods
Every vehicle requires different handling methods. For example, an XUV is built to withstand high loads and road stress. On the other hand, a sports car with a carbon fibre body will require more careful handling.
Despite this, most China used car market online dealerships use a one-size-fits-all approach, which leads to in-transit damages. Some dealerships use cargo planes, while others use ships.
So, you should consider the method before you export vehicles. Additionally, as a dealership executive, you should take additional care in case people wish to buy a Chinese electric car from your showroom.
That’s because you will have to use containers to transport them, else they will be damaged.
Mismanaging The Budget
Exporting a car isn’t a simple business. You need to keep multiple factors and costs in mind during the process. However, most dealerships only focus on paying the fees associated with shipping.
As a result, they ignore other fees such as:
- Port of entry fees
- Import or customs duties
- Insurance fees or costs
This leads to unwanted delays as the containers get held up at the seaport or airport. So, you should carefully consider all these costs as a China used car market online dealership executive.
Ignoring Insurance
You should pay for the insurance of the vehicles you’re exporting. That’s because the vehicle might get damaged on the way. However, some dealerships do not pay for insurance, as they do not consider the possible damage on the way.
This lack of consideration leads to the dealerships being caught up in legal cases, as the buyers sue them. So, you should not forget to apply for additional insurance coverage to avoid this possibility.
Not Focusing On After-sales Service
Finally, most dealerships assume that they’re done and dusted once they’ve exported the car and it has reached its destination. However, that’s not true. Customers value dealerships that provide a good customer experience after purchasing a car experience.
This can be seen in the fact that the vehicular after-sales service market is expected to enjoy a valuation of $1638.14 billion by 2034. So, you should focus on training your executives to nurture and maintain the relationship with your buyers to boost your company’s profits.
Now that we’ve spoken about the mistakes you need to avoid, let’s take a quick look at how you can prepare your vehicles for export.
5 Tips To Successfully Prepare A Car For Export
Whether you’re having brand new or second-hand cars exported, you should keep the following things in mind to get them ready:
Professionally Cleaning Them
We would recommend hiring a professional car cleaning service to make your vehicle look spick and span. That’s because they will utilize high-tech equipment and the latest techniques to wash the car thoroughly.
Your customers or buyers will also value the attractive appearance of the vehicle.
Inspecting The Tires
This is a no-brainer. Your vehicle should have tires with a good grip, air pressure, and quality. These will ensure that the vehicle can perform on the export company’s roads efficiently.
Additionally, checking the tires will ensure that your customers don’t have to spend extra money on fixing those issues. This will lead to a positive experience.
Checking The Lights
You should ensure that the vehicle has functional lights. That’s because your customers will not be able to successfully navigate without them. Apart from that, a vehicle without proper values makes customers doubt the integrity of the dealership.
So, ensure to fix the lights before readying your vehicle for export. Additionally, when one of your customers chooses to buy a Chinese electric car from your showroom, you will have to doubly ensure that all lights are functional.
Maintaining The Desired Fluid Levels
Any imbalance in fluid levels, such as brake oil, or coolants can lead to unfortunate accidents during the journey. So, you should carefully inspect these fluid levels in the vehicle to ensure that such accidents do not happen.
Collecting All Documents
Finally, you should compile all the proper documentation as mentioned in the above sections. By doing so, you will be complying with all the regulations and can avoid unwanted hassles before or after exporting the vehicles.
The Last Word
You should therefore avoid errors like incorrect documentation, ignoring after-sales service, choosing incorrect shipping methods, mismanaging the budget, and not having insurance before you choose to export cars as a China used car market online dealership.
That way, you will be able to avoid unwanted errors.
